Melodeon



W. F. SHELDON. MELQDEON, aw.

N0. 32,654. Patented JuneZ, 1861.

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WIM. F. SHELDON, OF EAST MEXDON, NEXV YORK.

MELODEON.

l Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 32,654,

dated June 25, 1861; application for Reissue led June '7. 1873.

To all whom 'it 'may concern.'

oil East Meudon, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and uset`ul Improvement in Melodeons and other Octave-Keyed Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the tollowing is a full, clear, and exact description Vof the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan otl a melodeon with my improvement, having its cover removed to expose the key-board. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, in the plane indicated by the line ic, tu, in Figs. l and 3. Fig'. B is a longitudinal section of the same, in the plane indicated by the line y, y, in Figs. l and Q, showing' the parts in front ot the plane of section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object ot' my invention is to enable players ot little experience to play on different keys; and to this end my invention consists in a movable key-board so applied and combined with the reeds or their equivalents that by the aid ot a fixed scale in front ot the key board it may be set to play in any desired key.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I Iwill proceed to de scribe its construction and operation.

H is the case of the instrument.

I, I, is the key-board composed ot a number otl playing keys representing a complete octave more than is represented by the reeds J, J, or other equivalent devices for producing the musical sounds. These playing keys are attached to a horizontal slidingI trame K, which enables them tol be moved horizontally in a direction parallel with the front of the key-board. The opening e, a, otthe case, where the key-board is exposed for playing,V is ot such length as to expose only a number ot the playing keys equal to the number ot' reeds J, J, or their equivalents.

yL L are a set ot levers, one for each reed, each arranged permanently over its respective reedto operate by a push-down-pin Z), see Fig. 2, Veach ot said levers having protuberance c, on its upper side to be acted upon by corresponding protube anees Be it known that I, IVILLIAM F. SunLDoN, i

1 i i I I (l. on the under sides ot' the playing keys.

M is a horizontal screw made with joui'- nals z', z', to lit in ixed bearings e, c, in the lower part ot' the case, said `journals being so shouldered as to prevent any longitudinal movement ot the said screw.

N is a nut, fitted to the screw M, and secured rigidly to the sliding trame K. One end ot' the screw is made with a square, which can be reached by a key inserted in a hole at one end of the case for the purpose ot turning it. By turning the screw, the nut is made to move longitudinally upon it and the trame K, and key-board are moved lengthwise ot' the instrument and the screw holds the key-board securely in any position. The length of the screw is sutlicient to permit the key-board to be n'ioved the entire length of'an octave.

The fixed scale is shown in Fig. l, lettered O, Oi?, Dp, D, D, El), &c. corresponding with the denominations ot' the notes ot a complete octave, the several equal spaces on the said scale corresponding in width with the widths ot' the spaces occupied by the back parts ot the keys, and by the levers L, L. and being severally opposite to levers which act upon reeds representing the notes with which they (the spaces ot' the tixed scale) are respectively marked. One of the C playing-keys is marked C, or Do, and when this key is opposite to the C--space the key-board is in position tor playing in the natural key. By moving the key-board to bring` the marked playing key opposite to any other ot' the spaces otl the lixed scale the playing will be performed in that key and in all positions ot' the key-board while the playing keys range with the spaces of the tixed. scale, the proper order of the sc1nitones is preserved.

I do notl claim broadly pi'oviding a musical instrument with a movable key-board; but

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A movable key-board so combined with the reeds of a melodeon or the equivalent parts of any other instrument that by the aid of a tixed scale it may be set to play in diii'erent keys, substantially as herein specitied.

2. Combiningthe so applied movable keyboard with the reeds or their equivalents by ineans of interposed levers L, L, applied and operating substantially as herein 5 specified.

3. The horizontal screw M, applied in combination with the movable key-board,

| substantially as herein described to adj ust it to or hold it in any desired position.

VILLIAM F. SHELDON.

Titnesses HAMILTON lV. GrooDELL7 MARTIN S. WEBSTER. 

